Well, i'm definitely more excited about a guy in canada carving hunks of brass in his back shed than I am about a multinational corporation releasing something years in the making (that will still sell in the millions and make more money than Ed could dream of).More credit to Ed, I've got a few camera accessory ideas that I could sell, it's definitely inspiring me to take them more serisouly (even if in my case, it'd take China a few weeks to copy them before all the fun's over).

I'm almost tempted to buy one even though i don't have any FD lenses to convert (yet). But seeing as i'm definitely staying out of (digital) FF until 5D4 or 6D2, i've got more cash to blow on lenses...

Well, i'm definitely more excited about a guy in canada carving hunks of brass in his back shed than I am about a multinational corporation releasing something years in the making (that will still sell in the millions and make more money than Ed could dream of).More credit to Ed, I've got a few camera accessory ideas that I could sell, it's definitely inspiring me to take them more serisouly (even if in my case, it'd take China a few weeks to copy them before all the fun's over).

I'm almost tempted to buy one even though i don't have any FD lenses to convert (yet). But seeing as i'm definitely staying out of (digital) FF until 5D4 or 6D2, i've got more cash to blow on lenses...

With that in mind my personal recommendation where value meets amazing imaging is

135mm f/2 - about $350, amazingly sharp, great bokeh even though it has a bit more CA than modern L version.50mm 1.4 - about $100 bucks, great CA control (less at 1.4 than 1.2 non L set at 1.4) tiny, worthy of "reference lens" title.24mm f/2 - about $300, also very sharp, shockingly compact and widest distortion free you can get15mm fisheye - about $500 build quality that even exceeds the TS 35mm 2.8 + 4 very cool internal built in filters

Well, i'm definitely more excited about a guy in canada carving hunks of brass in his back shed than I am about a multinational corporation releasing something years in the making (that will still sell in the millions and make more money than Ed could dream of).More credit to Ed, I've got a few camera accessory ideas that I could sell, it's definitely inspiring me to take them more serisouly (even if in my case, it'd take China a few weeks to copy them before all the fun's over).

I'm almost tempted to buy one even though i don't have any FD lenses to convert (yet). But seeing as i'm definitely staying out of (digital) FF until 5D4 or 6D2, i've got more cash to blow on lenses...

With that in mind my personal recommendation where value meets amazing imaging is

135mm f/2 - about $350, amazingly sharp, great bokeh even though it has a bit more CA than modern L version.50mm 1.4 - about $100 bucks, great CA control (less at 1.4 than 1.2 non L set at 1.4) tiny, worthy of "reference lens" title.24mm f/2 - about $300, also very sharp, shockingly compact and widest distortion free you can get15mm fisheye - about $500 build quality that even exceeds the TS 35mm 2.8 + 4 very cool internal built in filters

All the good EF lenses have disappeared from our local Craigslist. Mostly just the 50mm f/1.8 now. I have several FD lenses, but keep looking for one of the better quality ones.I think its linked to your posts here

135mm f/2 - about $350, amazingly sharp, great bokeh even though it has a bit more CA than modern L version.50mm 1.4 - about $100 bucks, great CA control (less at 1.4 than 1.2 non L set at 1.4) tiny, worthy of "reference lens" title.24mm f/2 - about $300, also very sharp, shockingly compact and widest distortion free you can get15mm fisheye - about $500 build quality that even exceeds the TS 35mm 2.8 + 4 very cool internal built in filters

Ed, how does the FDn 50mm 1.2 compare to the FDn 50mm 1.4 in sharpness and contrast?

I'm not sure what else would fit in here. A 15mm Fisheye makes 'most' sense from a focal-length view (more than a 17mm or 18mm fisheye, those Takumars go for $300). But then that's only useful on my eos 3 because I don't have FF Digital. But then if i'm shooting film, I may as well put the Zodiak 30mm on 6x6 and get square fishies (i reckon they look better that way), at higher scanned-resolution. For digital fisheye, it's the Samyang 8mm (or, more likely, nothing) for me for a few years.

How does the 50/1.4 compare to the FL 55/1.2? (on one of your other adapters).Both the FL 55/1.2 and Takumar 50/1.4 are not so much 'soft', but 'low contrast' fully wide-open, same as the Samyang 35mm. Stop any of those three down to f/1.6-2.0, and they're sharp as anything (whereas the EF 50/1.8 II doesn't get there until f/2.8 or even 4.0). If the 50/1.4 is actually useable wide-open, it might be tempting to get my 7th lens in the 50-55mm length...

Ed, how does the FDn 50mm 1.2 compare to the FDn 50mm 1.4 in sharpness and contrast?[/quote]

I haven't done a whole lot of shooting with either yet but a quick and dirty back and fourth comparison on a bright scene with high contrast edges really impressed me on the 1.4's CA performance and contrast. The non L FDn 50mm 1.2 wide open was expectedly sharp for a prime lens but it had the most purple fringing I've seen out of any f/1.2 lens (more than the FD and FL 55mm 1.2's I developed earlier kits for too). The prototype still in development FDn 50 1.2L on the other hand has the CA issue tamed very well though.

Its not to say the FD 50mm 1.2 non L is a dog or anything, in low light it does a fine job getting the shot but in bright light you are going to want to step it down a bit to keep the fringing in check.

We intend to develop a hopefully decent optical test lab in my father-in-law's basement in the next year so we can get real performance numbers beyond these qualitative feelings.

I'm not sure what else would fit in here. A 15mm Fisheye makes 'most' sense from a focal-length view (more than a 17mm or 18mm fisheye, those Takumars go for $300). But then that's only useful on my eos 3 because I don't have FF Digital. But then if i'm shooting film, I may as well put the Zodiak 30mm on 6x6 and get square fishies (i reckon they look better that way), at higher scanned-resolution. For digital fisheye, it's the Samyang 8mm (or, more likely, nothing) for me for a few years.

How does the 50/1.4 compare to the FL 55/1.2? (on one of your other adapters).Both the FL 55/1.2 and Takumar 50/1.4 are not so much 'soft', but 'low contrast' fully wide-open, same as the Samyang 35mm. Stop any of those three down to f/1.6-2.0, and they're sharp as anything (whereas the EF 50/1.8 II doesn't get there until f/2.8 or even 4.0). If the 50/1.4 is actually useable wide-open, it might be tempting to get my 7th lens in the 50-55mm length...

I'd take the FD 55mm 1.2 SSC over the FDn 50 1.4 because it doesn't hit my 5D3 mirror at infinity (may be important to you if you upgrade to ff) and lets face it 1.2 is 1.2. The FDn 50mm 1.4 however is great because its so tiny and easy to pocket when juggling a few lenses on a day trip. The 50mm 1.4 is cleaner/sharper/more contrasty at the pixel level than any of the 1.2's apart from the much more expensive FDn 50mm 1.2L and FD 55mm 1.2 Aspherical (and FDn 85mm 1.2L).

Also to consider, even though I don't have the production EdLink developed yet (just a hand ground prototype one) the lens that has spent the most time on my 5D3 for over a month now is the FDn 50-300 4.5L. Soooo sharp wide open, amazing colours, contrast and the really wide range is handier than expected.

Hmm, if I could find an FDn lens WITHOUT haze or mold it then it's a surprise. And lenses like the FD 50mm 1.4 were better than the new FD. But with that said, I was about to get the FDn 85L, could there be a conversion with that?

Well maybe I've been influenced by the owners of various used camera stores I've visited, where I ask about the available lenses in FD and nFD mount. And reading up on a lot of personal reviews on real world FD/nFD uses I concluded that several older lenses were better in ways. FD lenses had better build quality in general, and the plastic nFD lenses weren't good against moisture and more often then the FD developed haze and mold on the inner elements. I even hear of people liking some of the FD 55 f/1.2 series over the 50L, sharper, more contrast and better bokeh.

Now of course, there are excellent nFD lenses that have improved themselves over the previous generation, but just because something is "new" doesn't mean it's better.